Year 17 • No. 10 Saturday, August 5, 2017 T he aratoga Saratoga’s Daily Racing Newspaper since 2001 Take Aim Gun Runner looms large in Whitney Tod Marks Tod SATURDAY STAKES PREVIEWS • CHRISTOPHE CLEMENT STABLE TOUR • ENTRIES & HANDICAPPING 2 THE SARATOGA SPECIAL SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 2017 here&there... at Saratoga BUMPER STICKER OF THE DAY I like Kentucky-bred Girvin, on Joe Sharp’s tack room refrigerator. LICENSE PLATE OF THE DAY HORSE, Virginia (submitted by Jane Motion). T-SHIRT OF THE DAY In dog beers, I’ve only had one. BY THE NUMBERS 1: Beholder hat in trainer Chad Brown’s tack room. 15: Returning Hall of Famers announced at Friday’s induction ceremony. Ramon Dominguez, Shug McGaughey, Eddie Maple, Nick Zito, Jose Santos, Jonathan Sheppard, Jerry Fishback, Jacinto Vasquez, John Velazquez, Janet Elliot, Jerry Bailey, D. Wayne Lukas, Bill Mott, Angel Cordero Jr. and Manny Ycaza. NAMES OF THE DAY Marriedtothemusic, first race. The 7-year-old gelding, now with Michael Dubb and Michael Imperio and trainer Rudy Rodriguez, is by Disco Rico out of Significant Other. Swayze, second race. Agave Racing and Hebert Bloodstock’s 3-year-old colt is by Ghostzapper. Seabhac, fourth race. Gaelic for hawk, Donegal Racing’s 2-year-old colt is out of Curlin Hawk. Our grandmother Nora Clancy would be proud. Connie Bush Lip Service. A Thoroughbred shows off his (or her) tattoo on the backside this week. Since his first crop were three, Bernardini has had more Graded Stakes wins and more G1 victories The at The Spa than any other stallion. Stallions by Saratoga Graded Stallions by Saratoga G1 Stakes wins, 2011-’16 wins, 2011-’16 1 Bernardini 11 1 Bernardini 7 Sarago-to 2 Tapit 10 2 Unbridled’s Song 6 3 Speightstown 7 3 Speightstown 5 4 Curlin 6 4 Congrats 4 Smart Strike 6 Unbridled’s Song 6 stallion READY TO SPARKLE... Watch out for the speedy Takaful in the G1 Allen Jerkens 859-255-8537 www.darleyamerica.com Darley SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 2017 THE SARATOGA SPECIAL 3 QUOTE OF THE DAY here&there... at Saratoga “I love Saratoga, just something about it, makes you want to get up, work, be out here, be around it. Everybody has a lot of enthusiasm. My WORTH REPEATING dream is to live here someday.” “It was a lot of pressure, I’ll be honest with you.” Trainer Anthony Quartarolo, about life at the Spa Javier Castellano, after winning the fifth Friday when asked if winning felt different now that he’s in the Hall of Fame “I can’t say no to them.” Security guard Anthony Moore after opening the paddock gate to let George Weaver, Todd Pletcher and Tristan Barry sneak out before the mass exodus from the paddock to the grandstand 800-523-8143 “The only way you like her is if you think her 77-1 are two lucky 7s.” Andy Serling on Passel in the 10th race Thursday “He runs better here because the owner trains him in the morning.” Christophe Clement about Gary Drake’s Big Rock, Allan who won the third Thursday to go 3-for-3 at Saratoga “That would be chaos.” Lavin Trainer Anthony Quartarolo, who runs longshot Cautious Giant in today’s Whitney, when told The Special roots for chaos Bloodstock “It’s just more strategic. You’ve got to ride a smart race here because these guys are so good, the best of the best. You’ve got to sit a little bit longer, the holes are a little bit smaller and you ALLAN G. LAVIN, JR. have to learn who to follow.” Jockey Tyler Gaffalione, about riding at Saratoga allanlavinbloodstock.com [email protected] “Come on, it was for a charity.” Gaffalione, after being criticized for his singing at jockey karaoke (502) 773-0043 % Graded Stakes Horses 19 BLACKTYPE HORSES Saratoga, Keeneland, Belmont, etc. 70%WINNERS Sire of NINE individuals to earn over $100,000 Leading Runners include: Kent Barnes, Stallion Manager Gypsy Robin $598,900 Our Caravan $453,574 859-224-4585 Clothes Fall Off $475,660 Mamdooha $325,200 www.shadwellfarm.com DAAHERby Awesome Again Editors/Publishers The aratoga Sean Clancy: (302) 545-7713. [email protected] Joe Clancy: (302) 545-4424. [email protected] Managing Editor Tom Law: (859) 396-9407. [email protected] 259 East Avenue Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 Writers/Handicappers: Charles Bedard, Gaile Fitzgerald, The Saratoga Special, thisishorseracing.com Teresa Genaro, Ben Gowans, Madison Scott, John Shapazian, (the old feed store) Thoroughbred Racing Calendar, The Best of The Saratoga Special. Shayna Tiller, Brandon Valvo. www.thisishorseracing.com Call us about your editorial needs. Design: Jenn Peyser. Published Thursday through Sunday Home Office: 364 Fair Hill Drive, Suite F, Elkton, MD 21921 Photographers: Tod Marks, Dave Harmon, Connie Bush. during the racing season. (410) 392-5867 • Fax (410) 392-0170 Distribution: Kevin Murphy, Morgan Yaeger. Plus Monday, Aug. 7 and Tuesday, Aug. 8. 4 THE SARATOGA SPECIAL SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 2017 Alternation Broken Vow Distorted Humor – Alternate, by Seattle Slew Unbridled – Wedding Vow, by Nijinsky II 1st Crop 2YOs This Year Sire of Over 145 SHs, 75 SWs Pin Oak Stud P.O. Box 68 • Route 60 • Versailles, KY 40383 Inquiries to Clifford Barry or Nancy Stephens (859) 873-1420 www.pinoakstud.com SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 2017 THE SARATOGA SPECIAL 5 Country Life Foal Patrol “I’m ‘Dialed In’ to what’s happening - my here&there...at Saratoga dad has 6 stakes winners in just his first WORTH REPEATING crop to race, including CHALON in today’s “That’s enough, Sonny.” Gr.1 Test Stakes, and GUNNEVERA who is Trainer Jack Fisher, when asked if he had practiced prepping in Florida for the Travers. his speech for the induction of Good Night Shirt, owned by Sonny Via My mom is part of the ground breaking “That’s the best picture I’ve seen all day.” Raise You breeding partnership Woman wearing a Donegal Stable jacket when picking up Friday’s Special and has been bred to MSW with a cover shot of Javier Castellano after winning the Travers on Keen Ice Mosler, a son of War Front.” “We went duck hunting. Me and Luzzi.” ELLEN B. PONS B. ELLEN Jockey Dylan Davis, after he and Mike Luzzi won their first races at the meet Taking care of little things since 1933 www.CountryLifeFarm.com • 410.879.1952 “She will. I won’t.” Trainer/exercise rider Derek Ryan, about jumping hurdles on a bay mare Thursday morning “I used to call races once upon a time, now I’m a tour guide.” Tom Durkin, at the Hall of Fame ceremony “A look of respect…a look of reverence.” Durkin, describing visitor’s reactions to the Hall of Fame “They like to see an old man shuffle papers.” Hall of Fame committee chair Ed Bowen, when a few unscheduled Hall of Famers showed up Friday “You know all about Bill.” Bowen, as he shuffled papers when trainer Bill Mott was introduced “On the plus side I know how to break into homes and with the meet we are having that could come in handy.” Horseman after getting into an accidentally locked rental house Friday morning “Probably because he was still at Belmont.” Todd Pletcher when asked why Birdstone winner Hard Study wasn’t included in the Fasig-Tipton Stable Tour last Saturday “Wasn’t he in a suit a few minutes ago?” Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey as The Special’s Joe Clancy hustled past in shorts and a short-sleeve shirt a few minutes after speaking at the Hall of Fame ceremony “I can’t talk to that guy anymore. Everything I say ends up in the newspaper.” Fasig-Tipton’s Manny Hernandez, on the reporting skills of The Special’s Tom Law “I’m just not that funny.” NYRA’s Martin Panza, lowering expectations for his speech introducing jockey Victor Espinoza Friday (actually he was) Raising and Selling Racehorses Since 2005 Saratoga … – 60% winners 7.5% G1 G2 ® – or – 16% graded placed, 24% stakes placed NICOMA® and its affiliate 34 94 QUALITY ROAD - Unicity f. Visit us at Barn 5 G1 103 FLATTER - Whitelacenpromises f. WINNERS 123 MORE THAN READY - A.P. Cindy c. Contact: Headley c: 859.221.5108 Price c: 859.321.5117 Just since 2000 169 KITTEN’S JOY - Cozzy Corner c. millridge.com nicoma.com 182 STREET SENSE - Fastbridled f. John Stephen Hockensmith © 6 THE SARATOGA SPECIAL SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 2017 of the day Building two-year-olds one individual at a time (859) 312-3414 | kirkwoodstables.com Proud to support Thoroughbred aftercare (859) 224-2756 www.thoroughbredaftercare.org “NewYork-breds are an Hall of Fame family. Tod Marks excellent asset for a stable, with lots of opportunities for The Chief . Day 10 great purses.” “I’ll tell you one thing you know for sure, when the track is slow and a good horse works fast, you can bet he’s a good horse. Cheap horses get so mad at it. Before they had all-year training here, cheap hors- Trainer Todd Pletcher es would get so mad at the Oklahoma, it was unbelievable how slow they would work. When Decimal worked in 1:02, that was the talk of the racetrack, he beat the best sprinter in the country, a horse named Decathlon, he was beating everybody, carrying 130, 132 pounds. He beat him one day.” Savvy trainers will be stocking their barns with – Trainer Allen Jerkens registered NY-bred yearlings 1929-2015 offered at Fasig-Tipton The Saratoga Sale, August 7-8, and NY-Bred Yearlings Sale, August 12-13 nytbreeders.org | 518.587.0777 The New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association www.nytha.com | 516.488.2337 For more information visit our website visit us on Facebook or call 518.388.0174 Tod Marks photo Tod SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 2017 THE SARATOGA SPECIAL 7 Every day at Saratoga, The Special with presents an exclusive Stable Tour Christophe Clement with a Saratoga trainer.